Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-08

| winter In New York aud learn the ways oI
the country. They found work aud did
| we'll nj first and In tho early spf,ng the rest
| Of tho family went Ia work the virginia
| Pennsylvania factory. lie was u strong man
| with u good level head, aud made good
| wages, but could not stand prosperity, rejoic.
Ing too oftens with whisky accDmp uiitnents.
Here be WAS at hor feet n helpless wreck Of
L his former seli--tho chcrric sailor lad oi
Dover.
i The sexton looked ~. "You had better
try to do something Tor him." The town
clock WAS striking eleven. 81 Will bring
you the coffee" he ssd aud Disappeared.
She turned up tho dim gas light little,
and took a critical survey Of the sleeping
William. She turned up his coat collar and
buttoDod II close, hut made no other attempts
at Improvement Ito was 80 muddy all over,
80 battered aud usmpiike, that nothing
could be done to make him ionk respectable.
She only hoped ho would sit duiotiy through
the service, ana further ber.thoughts did not
wander. The sexton came back In "A little
while with tho coffee, aud SHE thanked him
40 fervently that ho ieit liko kicking himself
Tor not having done more Tor her. ie got
VIII ON his feet aud put him In n corner pew
against tho wall, where he made HIN sit bOlt
upright and astonished his Internal economy
with dciugo of hot coffee. Then he brought
tin basiu of water, aud a towel from some
whore, aud together they soon had the bOOZy
man ~ wide awake that he actually began to
wonder what all this meant aud where on
earth he was
Then the sexton loii tp light up tho church.
Tho woman told her husband to sit still, that
u they made noise they would have 10
leave, aud IL was cold outside. His drowsy
brain had enough to do to grapple that fact,
aud while he sat blinking like an owl, and
trying feebly to reason out where be was and
what Tor, the people began to come In slowly
and take their places. They came IN cheer
fully, but with due reverence, for this was
the night OF all tho year when they framed
their best resolves, and turned over their
best new leaves. Devout old men and
women who had learned their own weak
ness, aud young men and women whose
glory IN their strength and beauty aud whose
hope IL moro glorious still.
The hustle and whispering ceased Tho
clergyman entered aud took his place. But
few bad noticed the rnan IN the corner, who
loaned his head against the wall aud stared
stup,dly mt tho crowd.
The wife was lost in reverie again, thinking
of tho last New Years Eyo in England before
VIII aud SHE were married.
She took book that was offered and mado
n pretense OF singing, but kept an eye on
WIN, whose eyes were closed Her thoughts
were far away when the minister was speak
ing, and among bor childhood friends, but
now aud then she found that they chimed In
with what he sad. At last she was thinking
Oi an old inan sho knew aud ot his strange
faith IN tho power of prayer, when she found |
that the preacher WAS urging this very thing
upon his people. lie said their iirmest reso.
lutions would bo weak without the sup |
sudden strong and clear came tho voices OF |
the choir aud the whole crowd rose together |
to hail the bright new year with hopeful aud |
\ thankful hymn. This IL this old Moravian |
way OF welcoming the New Year Between the |
verses were heard the ssaScks all chimtng
Twelve.
Sh" sang with all hor soul, aud prayed with |
all ot u IA the prayer that followed, but was
startled, ~ by message from heaven, " hen
Npigp hg=lTs haf said ~
Did ever New Years vigil have 50 happy |
m end as that The wreck In the corner was /
Till n wreck in appearance, but it was silnat
gain and the leaks were stopped. +.